"Really appreciate you coming with me, Roy." Johnny commented as he and Roy rode down the elevator to the main floor.

"I don't mind." Roy answered with a slight smile. "Don't get the chance to keep up on these things anymore. Besides, it's kind of a nice break. How's your back?"

Johnny shrugged. "Fine. Couch isn't so bad. Sorry about the room. Didn't think to change it."

Roy merely laughed quietly and shook his head. "Tell you what. We can trade tonight."

"Definitely won't argue with you." Johnny told him as the elevator stopped and the door opened. They both stepped off and went off in search of the first seminar of the day.

Once in the room, Johnny and Roy made their way down a row of chairs and took a seat. As he was sitting down, Johnny inadvertently bumped elbows with the person sitting next to him. Out of habit, he reached for the other person as if to steady them.

"Sorry." He told the other person.

"It's okay." The other man smiled. "Pretty tight quarters here. Kevin Hanson, San Diego County."

Johnny managed what he hoped was a smile in response, even as he was a little thrown by Kevin's response. "Uh, John Gage, Los Angeles County. This is Roy DeSoto. Captain Roy DeSoto, I should say."

Kevin leaned forward with a nod toward Roy. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Roy nodded in response.

It was indeed very tight quarters, almost uncomfortably so. Johnny shifted a little in his chair, trying to find a slightly less uncomfortable position while listening to the speaker, all while doing his best not to bump into Kevin again.

Johnny stole a quick glance at him. He was nice-looking, his blond hair a little long and shaggy, a solid build, and of course, that smile he'd briefly flashed Johnny's way. Even if he didn't swing that way, he made for a nice distraction from the otherwise somewhat boring subject matter.

Suddenly Kevin glanced his way, flashing that smile again before leaning over slightly. "Are you bored, too?"

"No, no." Johnny could feel himself heat up. "Just, uh, not very good at sitting still."

Kevin merely looked amused as he turned his attention back to the speaker. Johnny made sure to do the same, trying to quell his panic at being caught looking. That was all he needed, to get his ass kicked just because he couldn't stop himself from checking someone out.

On the other hand, Kevin didn't seem much bothered by it, so maybe he'd be okay.

Christ, he hated this. Dating women was a hell of a lot easier, and honestly, his whole life would be a lot easier if he was only attracted to women. But he wasn't, and he'd long given up on suppressing those other desires. He tried to keep it to himself as much as he could, just because he knew how difficult it would make the rest of his life otherwise.

He couldn't even share that part of his life with Roy, the man he considered his best friend. There was no way he'd understand it.

A touch on his knee jerked him out of his thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Kevin pulling back, his fingers brushing Johnny's knee.

"You're very distracting." Kevin leaned over and murmured in his ear.

"Sorry." Johnny responded quietly.

"Oh, I don't mind." Kevin replied, nodding toward Roy. "But I suspect your friend might."

Johnny glanced over at Roy, who was still paying attention to the speaker, as if he hadn't noticed anything that was going on around him. But Johnny knew better, and Roy was bound to have some questions after this.

Johnny had no idea how he was going to answer them.

By the time the seminar ended, Johnny had almost forgotten about the whole thing. That was, until he felt a hand land on his shoulder as he was leaving the room.

He turned to see Kevin hitting him with that damn smile again. "Guess I'll see you around, huh?"

"Maybe." Johnny nodded. "Plenty of other seminars going on. We're bound to end up at some of the same ones."

"Right." Kevin slid his hand off Johnny's shoulder and headed off in the opposite direction. Johnny watched him for a moment before shaking his head.

"Sounds like you made yourself a friend in there." Roy commented casually.

"Yeah, I guess." Johnny responded. "Hey, you wanna see what else is on the schedule?"

"Sure." Roy nodded. "And maybe your new friend will join us."

"Funny." Johnny scoffed, but he couldn't help feeling a little edgy at Roy's offhand comment. He had to have noticed the way Kevin was…flirting? Was that the right word? Hell, Johnny had no idea.

Maybe they'd run into each other later, and Johnny would find out if there was anything there. After all, it was San Francisco, and anything could happen.

# # #

Johnny came out of the bathroom to see Roy on the couch, clearly absorbed in whatever he was watching. He did glance Johnny's way, regarding him curiously. "Hot date?"

"Funny." Johnny scoffed as he put on his jacket. "Nah, just, uh, heading out, see what kind of trouble I can get into. You wanna go?"

Roy's expression changed to one of amusement as he shook his head. "Think I'm better off staying put. Don't get in too much trouble. I'll have a hell of a time explaining to Jo why I need bail money."

Johnny merely huffed at that. "See you around."

He closed the door behind him and started toward the elevator. It was just as well that Roy hadn't come along. He would have had to completely change his game plan otherwise. Now, with any luck, he'd find someone to spend the evening with, someone he didn't have to worry about ever seeing again.

It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for, and he soon found himself inside one of those bars, a noisy and dark place, perfect for engaging in the kind of discreet activity he wanted.

"Well, hello." Someone spoke in his ear, nearly making him jump a mile.

He turned to see Kevin there, a drink in hand and that same damned smile he'd flashed earlier. "Oh, hey."

Kevin looked him up and down as he took a drink. "Small world. Can I get you something?"

Johnny debated briefly with himself before shrugging. "I mean, I can get my own. Just hadn't gotten that far yet."

"Of course." Kevin replied smoothly. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Suppose not." Johnny answered, hoping he sounded more casual than he felt.

They made their way through the crowd to the bar, and Johnny rested his arms on the bar, threading his fingers together as he waited, occasionally stealing a glance at Kevin. If he played his cards right, he could get what he wanted, assuming he and Kevin were on the same page.

Finally, the bartender made his way down and took Johnny's drink order, along with Kevin's. "Just put it on my tab." He told the bartender.

The idea made Johnny uncomfortable. "I told you, I can get my own."

Kevin waved a hand dismissively. "I'm sure you can. Indulge me, why don't you?"

Johnny knew that accepting the drink meant Kevin likely expected something from him. Not that he minded, necessarily, but he also didn't like the idea that he owed Kevin something just because he bought him a drink.

Finally, he came to a decision and responded with a nod. "Okay, as long as you're not, uh, expecting something in return."

Kevin responded with a slightly baffled expression. "It's just a drink, not a proposition. Relax."

Maybe he'd misread Kevin. It wouldn't be the first time he misread someone's intentions.

The bartender returned with their drinks, and Johnny picked his up as he glanced around the bar. If Kevin wasn't interested in pursuing something, maybe someone else was.

He was vaguely aware of Kevin scooting closer to him. "Wonder how many of these guys are from the convention?"

Johnny couldn't help but be amused at the thought. "Good question. Probably more than a few."

Kevin's arm slid along the bar so that it was right behind Johnny. "Definitely had a feeling about you."

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hmm." Kevin took another drink. "You and your friend, both."

"Oh, no." Johnny was quick to point out. "He's not like that. Married with kids."

Kevin let out a short laugh. "Now, you know as well as I do that doesn't matter much."

Johnny shrugged. "I've learned not to ask a lot of questions. Some things I don't need to know."

"Fair." Kevin nodded. "Sorry for, well, assuming."

"Listen, don't get me wrong, we're good friends." Johnny replied as he took another drink. "Worked together for a long time. Hell, we're practically family. But beyond that…no, there's nothing there."

Kevin regarded him curiously. "But you wish there was."

Johnny swallowed hard at that. He hadn't thought that much about whatever feelings he might have had for Roy. There had been a time, especially early on in their partnership, when he'd had what he might have described as a crush on Roy, but as time had gone on, that had mostly abated as the realities of working together sunk in.

Of course, things had changed once Roy had gotten promoted to captain. Johnny couldn't blame him for taking the promotion, even as it broke his heart a little to lose him as a partner. Roy was well-suited to the position in a way Johnny knew he never would be. But it had also meant that they had ended up on opposite shifts, and therefore, they didn't get to see each other as much as they used to.

Absence made, well, something grow fonder.

After a long moment, Johnny shrugged. "Doesn't matter if I do or not. Takes two, you know?"

"True." Kevin moved even closer, his fingers tracing up Johnny's spine. "How about another drink?"

Johnny finished off what was in his glass and set it on the bar. "Sure, why not?"

One more wouldn't hurt, he supposed. And maybe he and Kevin could talk a little more before they got down to business. If they got down to business, that is.

Kevin turned around and flagged down the bartender for more drinks, once again asking him to put them on his tab. This time, Johnny didn't bother arguing. He was starting to relax a little, finally, and he took a moment to study Kevin a little more closely.

He was good-looking, sure. More than that, he had an ease about him, a casual attitude that Johnny couldn't help but admire. And something about that damn little smile reminded him very much of—

No, he wasn't going to think about Roy right now. Besides, Roy sure as hell wasn't thinking about him, and with good reason. Why would he? They were friends, former work partners, nothing more. Even that friendship was somewhat in question these days given the way their schedules never seemed to line up.

It occurred to him that Kevin was asking him something. He shook his head and noticed the drink that had appeared in front of him. "Sorry, what?"

Kevin seemed amused, leaning in close again. "Your paramedic program. First in the state, right?"

"Right." Johnny nodded before taking a quick drink. "Had us training before the law even went into effect. Hard to believe it was considered so innovative. Feels almost like a dinosaur now."

"Sounds a bit like ours." Kevin responded. "I mean, ours is based on yours, so I suppose it's not a surprise. I wasn't sure I wanted to do it at first. I really liked doing fire."

"Yeah, I was a rescue man straight out of the academy." Johnny told him. "Loved it. My captain kept trying to get me to sign up. Couldn't see the point. More work for no extra money? And we might not even get to practice? No way. Didn't appeal to me."

Kevin regarded him curiously. "Something changed your mind. Or someone."

"Someone." Johnny played with his glass. "Roy. He leaned pretty damn hard on me. Pushed me, encouraged me when I was having a hard time."

"He believed in you."

"Yeah, I guess he did." Johnny agreed, taking another drink. "Can't imagine doing anything else now. Had an opportunity to go for captain, just like Roy did. I turned it down."

Kevin laughed quietly at that. "You couldn't pay me enough to be an officer. I'll probably retire as a paramedic. I'm comfortable with that."

"You know what? I think I am, too." Johnny answered with a nod.

Kevin reached out and traced along the back of Johnny's hand with one finger. "Your hands."

"What about them?"

"They're one of the first things I noticed about you." Kevin's fingers were threading through Johnny's now. "Couldn't help wondering what else those hands could do."

Now they were getting somewhere. "Oh, all kinds of things." Johnny answered in what he hoped was a casual tone.

"Hmm, I do like the sound of that." Kevin's thumb brushed along Johnny's hand, sending a little shiver through him. "What say we finish our drinks and take this somewhere else? Not that I'm not enjoying our conversation, of course, but we both know why we're here."

Johnny could hardly deny that. He finished what was left of his drink and set the glass down on the bar. "Ready whenever you are."

Kevin squeezed his hand and let it go before flagging down the bartender to pay the tab. After he did so, he tucked his wallet into his back pocket and flashed Johnny that little smile. "Ready?"

"Ready." Johnny answered.

For what, he wasn't quite sure. But he was willing to find out what the rest of the night would bring.